Bacon, cheddar and chive biscuits

You might not guess it from this blog, but we tend to eat salads for dinner several times a week. That said, they are usually what I like to call a man salad — loaded with things like fried chicken, toasted nuts or sunflower seeds, dried fruit, cheese and more often than not, a biscuit on the side. We're crazy for the biscuits. And these biscuits are just over the top. You could have them with a salad, or use them to make some seriously hearty ham sandwiches. Yum.

Bacon, cheddar and chive biscuits
Adapted from Bon Appetit, February 2010

Makes 12.

6 thick-cut bacon slices
3 3/4 cups bread flour
1 1/2 Tb baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, plus melted butter for brushing
2 1/2 cups (packed) coarsely grated sharp cheddar cheese (about 12 ounces)
1/3 cup chopped fresh chives
1 3/4 cups chilled buttermilk

Position rack just above center of oven and preheat to 425°F. Line heavy large baking sheet with parchment paper. Cook bacon in heavy large skillet over medium heat until crisp and brown. Transfer to paper towels to drain, then crumble into bits.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl and toss with a fork to blend. Add butter cubes. and cut in with two knives or your fingertips until formed into a coarse meal. Add cheddar cheese, chives, and bacon pieces; toss to blend. Gradually add buttermilk, stirring to moisten evenly (batter will feel sticky).

Using lightly floured hands, drop generous 1/2 cup batter for each biscuit onto prepared baking sheet, spacing batter mounds about 2 inches apart.

Bake biscuits until golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Brush biscuits lightly with melted butter. Let cool 10 minutes. Serve biscuits warm or at room temperature with honey, if desired.

Twelve is an awful lot of biscuits — even as tasty as these are. This recipe is easily halfed.

Motown and biscuits

I thought I'd share a couple of photos from my day in Detroit. I really enjoy exploring there. There are some unique finds, though you really have to hunt. The storefronts along Woodward Ave. had some interesting displays going on… though there was no signage to explain whether this was some kind of organized exhibition, or even who the artists are.




I was intrigued by this colorful synagogue downtown with oddly matched curtains in the windows of the seemingly empty top floors.

And, as promised, the chive biscuits from last night. I'm realizing now, that I already shared this biscuit recipe once before. The last time I had substituted dill for the chives. This time I cut the recipe in half and added parsley to the herbs because I had less than a 1/4 cup of chives. Delicious!

Who needs Bisquick?!?

Biscuits! Who doesn't love a good, flaky biscuit?! I made some delicious ones the other night from an old copy of Saveur (Look how high they rose!) and thought I'd share this super easy recipe.

Chive and Cheddar Biscuits
• Heat oven to 450°.
• Whisk together 2 cups flour, 2 tbsp. baking powder, 1 tbsp. sugar, 1 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. baking soda in a bowl.
• Using a pastry cutter (or two knives), work 8 tbsp. cold butter cut into thin pats into flour mixture until the butter is the size of small peas.
• Add 3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. buttermilk, 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, and 1/2 cup finely chopped chives to flour–butter mixture; stir with a fork to form a loose dough.
• Turn dough out onto a floured surface; gently pat into a 6" × 9" rectangle. Fold in thirds as you would a letter; pat into a 6" × 9" rectangle again.
• Dip edges of a 3" round biscuit cutter in flour; punch out 6 biscuits from dough. Transfer them to a parchment paper–lined baking sheet. (Form and cut dough scraps into another biscuit or two, if you wish; they won't rise as high, though.)
• Brush tops with 2 tbsp. heavy cream; bake until lightly browned, 14–16 minutes. Makes 6.
Note: If you don't have buttermilk, add a scant tablespoon or so of vinegar to a cup of milk and let it sit for a few minutes.

I substituted dill for the chives and would definitely cut down on the salt next time at least by half — especially with dill. AND, good news, it makes more like 8. And they are big and fluffy and flaky and GOOD!